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Helmet parts of this date are rare finds in Denmark…
What is it?
This piece of a remarkable pre-Viking Age helmet comprises two fragments that fit together perfectly to make up a section c.10cm long in total, representing two-thirds of the helmet’s eyebrow arch. The object is made of gilded bronze and features ornate decorations, including an animal with prominent teeth and large eyes that were originally inset with garnets, one of which still survives. It is possible that other perforations on the arch may also have been filled with garnets. The style of ornamentation dates the object to the Late Germanic Iron Age, specifically to between the later 7th and mid-8th century AD.
Where was it found, and when?
The discovery was made at the site of Lillebro, near the village of Gammel Lejre, in north-western Zealand, Denmark. Previous discoveries in the area – including several notable metal-detecting finds – indicate that this landscape was home to a powerful elite in the Late Iron Age. A field near Lillebro was therefore chosen as the location for a metal-detecting survey in spring 2024. Here, the two sections of the helmet brow arch were found by two different metal-detectorists, approximately 10m apart. The find was handed in to Roskilde Museum, which immediately informed the National Museum of Denmark, and sought permission to display it locally at Lejre Museum for a limited period.
Why does it matter?
Helmet parts of this date are rare finds in Denmark in general, but this discovery must have come from what would have been the most spectacular helmet known from the country to date, and one of the most richly decorated examples ever found in Scandinavia. The level of craftsmanship paints a picture of the incredible wealth and power of the person for whom this object was made, which reflects the grandeur of the hall buildings and burial monuments previously found in Lejre, and offers further evidence that this area was a place of importance in the Late Iron Age. There is little evidence of conflict in Lejre during this period, leading researchers to conclude that the helmet was probably created to serve as a sign of wealth and political power rather than for use in battle.
The piece’s decorations have similarities to several other helmets found in neighbouring regions, including present-day Sweden and England, highlighting Lejre’s connections to other power centres. However, closer analysis reveals that the find from Lillebro has a unique construction: the brow ridge has been cast as a single piece, rather than two separate eyebrow arches as is seen in other comparable helmets. This unusual form indicates that the helmet could be slightly later than other examples like the helmets from Valsgärde or Uppåkra in Sweden, or it may represent an exclusive design or transitional form of helmet.
FIND OUT MORE: The object is on display at Lejre Museum until the museum closes for the season on 1 November, after which it will be returned to the National Museum of Denmark.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Photo: Kristian Grøndahl ROMU
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